Joint Terrorism Task Forces have been key in breaking up cells like the “Portland Seven,” planned attacks on
military bases like Fort Dix in New Jersey, and plots against airports. Pictured: Tony Welch passes through airport security at Portland International Airport, March 19, 2012. (Photo: Natalie Behring/Getty Images)

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David Inserra specializes in cyber and homeland security policy, including protection of critical infrastructure, as policy analyst in The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies. Read his research.

Last month, the Portland, Oregon, City Council voted to leave the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, one of our nation’s first lines of defense against terrorism.

But that’s exactly what the Joint Terrorism
Task Force is doing. Leaving the task force will only harm real
counterterrorism investigations.

Joint Terrorism Task Forces around the country
are responsible for investigating, detecting, prosecuting, and removing
terrorists and terrorist organizations.

They have been key in breaking up cells like the “Portland Seven,” planned attacks on
military bases like Fort Dix in New Jersey, and plots against airports.

Typically, when we hear about a counterterrorism
investigation, the Joint Terrorism Task Force is playing an active and decisive
role in the operation.

The first Joint Terrorism Task Force was established in 1980. Task forces are based in 104 cities
nationwide, 71 of which were created following the events of 9/11.

An important component of the Joint Terrorism Task Force is that it serves as a shared intelligence hub. That allows the law enforcement community to be better informed about possible terrorist plots and terrorists, and to coordinate their counterterrorism activities.

According to Eudaly, they “want to
keep [their] community safe.” It’s their belief that if they were to remain
partners with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, they would be neglecting and not
respecting the immigrants in their community.

What Portland is missing is that it doesn’t
matter whether the individuals being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task
Force are immigrants or not if they pose a threat to their neighbors.

Any city that’s concerned about threats toward its residents should not be disassociating from a task force whose primary purpose is to protect the community from terrorist attacks.

Portland is automatically disadvantaged because the local police force is likely to get less information
on extremists and less knowledge of ongoing operations, ultimately leaving residents
less safe.

Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw stated, “I believe that removing
Portland police officers from the JTTF is a disservice to our community and not
in the best interest of our city’s public safety.”

Clear communication between local and federal agencies
is vital in the fight against terrorism, whatever the ideology.

By leaving the Joint Terrorism Task Force,
Portland increases the potential for terrorists to slip through the cracks. The lack
of organized communication and direct collaboration increases the risk of important
evidence for an investigation into suspected terrorist organizations being held,
but not shared, by a law enforcement agency.

It’s also possible that, without the
participation and collaboration of the Portland police, ongoing task force investigations
in the city could be interfered with.

The top priority of law enforcement is to
protect the American people. If Portland truly wishes to keep its communities
safe, it should see the considerable value in partnering with the Joint
Terrorism Task Force.

As Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who voted
against leaving the task force, stated, “While values are important, values
alone cannot protect the safety of the community.”

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